Dubai Police: 11 Agents Killed Hamas Terrorist

Police in the UAE capital do not accuse Mossad of the assassination last month, but do not rule out the possibility either.

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Gil Ronen, 15/02/10 22:39 | updated: 22:43

Al-Mabhouh

The Dubai Police held a news conference Monday in which they showed photographs of 11 people whom they suspect of assassinating Hamas agent Mahmoud al-Mabhouh. Mabhouh's body was found January 20 in a hotel room in the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Dubai Police chief Lt. Gen. Dhahi Khalfan Tamim said six people in the hit team bore British passports, three had Irish ones, one had a French passport and another one held a German passport.

Unlike Hamas and its sponsor Iran, which have squarely blamed Israel for the hit, Tamim only said it was possible that "leaders of certain countries gave orders to their intelligence agents to kill" Mabhouh, but did not name the countries.

The killing took place about five hours after Mabhouh arrived at the hotel. Police do not accuse Israel's Mossad of the assassination, but do not rule out the possibility either.

Tamim showed airport surveillance video of the members of the alleged assassination team arriving on separate flights to Dubai the day before Mabhouh was found dead. They checked into separate hotels, paid cash for all expenses and used different mobile phone cards to avoid traces.

Suspected members of the hit team watched al-Mabhouh check in at his hotel, Tamim said, then booked a room across from him.